In a world where most carriers are trying to figure out how to cram more useless apps into your phone instead of focusing on improving their networks, one carrier stands out from the crowd. Sprint is, once again, doing exactly what their customers ask for.

The “Now Network” said yesterday that HTC EVO 3D users will be able to uninstall bloatware from their phones without any rooting required. Although every Android user should have been able to do this since the T-Mobile G1, we thank Sprint for taking initiative and letting people uninstall apps from their own phone. If only every other carrier followed in Sprint’s steps, the Android world would be a much happier place.

If you’re wondering whether Sprint will do this for all future Android devices or not, I’m happy to tell you that is exactly what they plan to do. According to MobileBurn, Sprint wants to “continue the practice in the future.” You had us at “continue,” Sprint.

In case you haven’t been keeping count, this isn’t Sprint’s first customer-friendly action. In fact, the carrier has been on a very pro-Android (and pro-Google) roll lately, starting with the level of integration the carrier offers with Google Voice. And followed by the fact that Sprint worked closely with Google on the release of Google Wallet. But most importantly, Sprint is the only carrier left that offers a truly unlimited data plan. Every other major U.S. carrier now has (or is about to have) some sort of tiered plan.

This might not be a big deal right now, as 2 GB (what most carriers offer) is more than enough data for most people. But as more and more data-consuming apps like Netflix and Hulu start popping up in the Market, that 2 GB cap could soon limit our ability to use our phones to their full potential. Every time you launch a video-streaming app, you’ll be making sure you’re on WiFi for fear of going over over the data limit. If you’re not on WiFi, you won’t launch the app at all. Just like that, wireless carriers and their tiered data plans now dictate how we can use our phones.

But guess who won’t have to count megabytes or worry about going over the data limit. Sprint customers. For that and for trying to kill bloatware, we applaud you, Sprint.

Alberto is a college student living somewhere between Miami, Sarasota and the World Wide Web. Although a former iPhone owner, Alberto is now a proud Android enthusiast. You can follow Alberto on Twitter and Google+ for his thoughts unworthy of an article.

When my contract is over with VZW (and my unlimited data is lost)…..I will be saying hello to Sprint. Thank GOD that at least one company supports its customers. Unlike VZW who bend us over at every turn. Fu*k you Verizon. Fu*k you.

when im done typing this comment(and i exit the webpage) im leaving androidandme and going somewhere else. Thank GOD Taylor left before vildosola came to town. Fu*k this author and Fu*k what hes turned this blog into.

For example, will they release a new update for the original Evo 4G that will allow its users to remove the bloatware there?

I’ve already stopped installing new apps and taken to uninstall lesser used apps to keep from running out of space, it would be nice to be able to remove the pre-installed apps that I never use on my Evo.

Removing these apps from the Evo 4G would not help in any way with disk space, since they are installed to a different partition. Also updates can’t safely update the partition table, so there’s no way they would be doing that either.

A Google (Nexus) phone doesn’t mean a phone free of bloatware. Google Earth? Goggles? Facebook? These are questionable apps to include as non-optional, non-uninstallable (sans unlocking the bootloader, which should be a last-resort for advanced users, not a necessary aspect for those who want ot use stock software) parts of the phone. Verizon tries to shove their services and special deals down your throat, but Google does the same with their servces, and it’s not in any way more laudable.

Your Nexus S (Sprint) came with Facebook installed? Mine didn’t. When I go into my app, I can uninstall Goggles. For Google Earth, I only get the option to uninstall updates…. something must be wrong with your phone.

And in each article in which we praise Sprint for all these great choices, we need to remind them of how much we love the UNLIMITED data! Keep reminding them why they stand out, and maybe they’ll stick with it!

Sprint is in the process of making a deal to build out it’s own LTE network, so sounding their death knell may be a bit early. Dan Hesse has done a great job of turning things around over there, he deserves some credit and some trust in what he’s doing.
I’ve been with Sprint for over ten years and I can honestly say this is the most satisfied I have been with them ever. I have always loved the call quality, lack of dropped calls and ability to have signal when others didn’t.

Sprint is moving in for the kill!! They have and are getting some more really high end phones Now this.. Sprint is definitely trying to pick up their game. They see T-Mobile going down and are taking advantage of the situation. Out-smarting and out-classing AT&T and Verizon at the same time. Well done Sprint! Your move, competitors.

Who cares? Oooh look, first we put lots of crap on your phone, then we let you uninstall it. If you want to act righteous, don’t install any in the first place. As to unlimited data, Verizon and T-Mobile used to have truly unlimited too but not anymore. Who knows how long Sprint will continue to offer it. Also their unlimited data is your plan price PLUS the BS $10.00 premium data add-on fee for all smartphones, 3G, 4G, or otherwise.

When there’s a carrier that will not install any extra apps at all and does not sell any phones that have anything but pure Google software, with no skins on them, and not charge me extra “phantom fees,” then I might get excited. In the meantime, meh.

Actually you sound just like a TOTAL “A” HOLE.. Your either a SORRY APPLE LOVER OR STUCK ON THAT OVERPRICED UNDERSPECED NETWORK WHERE EVERYONE THINKS SPEED RULE..Sprint is and will continue to be the best Carrier with the best Android devices. We on Sprint are perfectly fine TOO BAD YOUR NOT..

We should be commending our carriers for providing outstanding service and pricing, not for giving us the option to remove shit that should be optional out of the box ANYWAY..

Sprint is failing on the outstanding service part. WiMAX is dead and so are the phones after LTE launches. EV-DO is slow. Prices are going UP. Phone selection is lagging behind every other major carrier. They have 1 stock Android phone and T-Mobile got that device last year. The Evo Shift is a bloated up G2.

Removing the decidedly almost completely useless NASCAR bloatware from their phones won’t fix their pissy slow EV-DO, completely spotty and now dead in the water WiMAX network or their rising fees and prices.

Sprint will be moving to tiered data too. Don’t let them fool you. They gave no notice when they added the $10 4G smartphone fee to 3G smartphones as well as removing a bunch of people from the Sprint Premier Gold program.

You sound….SCORNED…..Regardless of your opinion which your entitled to SPRINT HAS BEEN AND IS TRULY DOING BIG THINGS THAT OTHER CARRIERS ARE FALLING BEHIND ON. Last time I checked it was sprint who brought GOOGLE VOICE integration to all there customers NO OTHER CARRIER IS DOING THAT….Last time I checked it was SPRINT who worked along with GOOGLE to introduce GOOGLE WALLET…Last time I checked it was SPRINT who has worked with lookout to integrate that application into all sprint devices natively…..Last time I checked it was SPRINT who JUST SIGNED A 15 YEAR CONTRACT WITH LIGHTSQUARE TO BRING LTE TO ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS and don’t think that they don’t have a plan to integrate all these services which WON’T EFFECT ANY DEVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY RUNING ON THERE NETWORK….Last time I checked it was SPRINT who introduced this option on the evo 3d where the opportunity to remove bloatwhere from devices coming forward will be a big benefit to all sprint users…Last time I checked it was SPRINT WHO HAS THE ONLY UNLIMITED NETWORK AS FAR AS DATA USAGE AND THAT 10.00 BEING PAID IS EXACTLY THE REASON IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN UNLIMITED…..Don’t spend so time fooling your self about sprint it’s clear your not a sprint customer but in my world YOUR ONLU FOOLING YOURSELF BY NOT BECOMING A SPRINT CUSTOMER…And I can tell you now way before it happens that yes sprint will have not only the DUALCORE MONSTER THE EVO 3D BUT WILL ALSO HAVE THE MOTOROLA PHOTON 4G, SAMSUNG GALAXY S WITHIN WHICH MEANS THEY WILL HAVE (3) DUALCORE DEVICES ON THERE NETWORK WHEN MOST CARRIERS DON’T EVEN HAVE (1) AS OF THIS ENTRY. Last time I check the best profolio of devices not only smartphones but tablets too ALL RESIDE ON SPRINT….LOOK AROUND PEOPLE DON’T BE FOOLED BY PEOPLE HATING ON THE #3 NETWORK WHO IS TREATING THEIR CUSTOMERS LIKE A #1 NETWORK. Plus this isn’t even September yet that is when the iphone will be coming to sprint and a short time later after that you will see THE NEXUS 3. NO OTHER CARRIER WILL GET THE NEXUS 3 BEFORE SPRINT YOU CAN BANK ON THAT……………………..

I wonder if Google had anything to do with this. SPrint and Google have been getting pretty chummy as of late. Sprint is a great place to be an Android customer. If I had the ability to be on there network I would definatly sign up. (Get a Nexus S 4G!) Maybe Google can help them out a bit. We really need more competition out here in the sticks.

Here in Phoenix, which is a huge city, Sprint still charges an extra $10 per month for Wimax which they will probably never have. So thats irritating.
Although I applaud this move by Sprint its obvious they are not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. its a competitive move because they are scared to death of AT&T combining with T-Mobile and having to compete with only Verizon and a huge(er) AT&T.
Still for whatever reason its a great move. I think bloatware greatly reduces the Android experience for a lot of customers who don’t even know what is causing lag and other speed and stability issues.
BTW Sprint is widely expected to have the iPhone soon as is T-Mobile. You can expect them to promote the hell out of the iPhone too. So don’t think their Android love is anything less than a tactic for now.

Sprint’s “Truly Unlimited” is the same as T-Mobile’s. It throttles back usage after 5 gigs. The difference is I pay $40 for it with Sprint and $30 with T-Mobile. I do see faster service on the 4G T-Mobile device, as well as better coverage. As far as bloatware is concerned, I haven’t experienced an issue with any device that removing the pre-installed apps would solve. I still see no benefit with service with Sprint over T-Mobile. And even though AT&T and VZW claim to have better coverage, I’ve only seem a difference in my friends basement, and that doesn’t justify the ridiculous prices or piss poor customer service I’ve experienced with either of the two largest carriers. It’s a shame T-Mobile wasn’t run better. I think they could have been a serious contender.

Is Verizon’s 21mbps really worth $80 for only 10gb? you could use up your service on one hd movie in slightly more than a hour? anyone up for using up all that impressive speed in just an hour of entertainment? well for those who can stand to have a 3g network with unlimited why don’t you switch to something like VM with truly unlimited data and uncapped speeds starting at 25$ 300min/unlimited data, web and texting plan? Sure their customer support is sketchy but if you call their corporate escalation you’ll save time and money and you won’t get frustrated by all these annoying caps and throttling rules from the carrier giants. who knows…..maybe this truly unlimited, unlimited plan idea will take off and the giant carriers will start to compete with the prepaid companies that know what consumers really want. This comment is mostly directed towards those Verizon and at&t customers who came to this posters great news just to complain about sprint or promote their carriers ridiculous prices, thanks for the blog Alberto Vildosola the news is appreciated by real android and unlimited internet fans. PS:those who need more minutes: heard of free calling apps? that’s what the unlimited data is for.

If Sprint is finally conceding and allowing people to remove the bloatware that Sprint put there in the first place. Oh joy.

When do you suppose they’ll stop requiring everyone who bought a PDA-like phone to pay for a monthly data plan they neither want nor need, or when they’ll stop charging Android users an *extra* $10/month for the unwanted data plan “just because”. At this point if my Palm800w I paid for entirely of my own (yes, completely unsubsidized) and replaced it with another one (also unsubsidized), I’d be getting a $10/month data plan added whether I like it or not as a side effect.

This is just one more step that will lead to the downfall of the AT&T and Verizon duopoly. Those companies must adapt to the changing market, or be forgotten by consumers. AT&T and VZ customers are being royally screwed, but they continue to make it worse for their customers. They have been overcharging users for data plans for years but that wasn’t enough. Now they got rid of the unlimited plans so we can go over our data limits and get charged excessive fees. VZ just recently got rid of 1 year upgrades for phones. AT&T may or may not follow suit. I know one thing… the rapid pace that phone technology is changing, no user is going to want to be stuck with a phone for two years before their upgrade. While I currently have VZ service, I plan to change to Sprint if things get bad enough (currently I’m under a plan with unlimited data, VZ just happens to be the only phone service I have at my house too :/ ).

You can remove ‘nascar’ and a few others. But many useless apps are there to stay. (and uninstalling bloatware just hides them, they’re still taking up internal data space, you’re basically just removing the app icon) and you can no longer do it with all the apps. (if you ever could) So you’re stuck with the Stock Widget and Peeps forever.

honestly when they start coming out with duel wimax and lte capable phones they will overtake att. All att does is screw there customers. wimax is in so many markets when you get that plus blazin fast lte and some serious google lovin thats golden. On top of that only unlimited left? Damn some nexus prime is soundin real good right now. possibly lte capable.. May be that first duel capable one plus ice cream sandwhich!! Im going sprint next!